Almost a fifth of UK adults have low vitamin D levels – less than 25 nmol/litre of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D), the main circulating form – NICE has reported. Severe vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets, osteomalacia (soft bones) and hypocalcaemia (low blood calcium levels). Low vitamin D levels may also predispose patients to other conditions, including osteoporosis, diabetes and some cancers, although NICE says the evidence supporting these links is 'inconclusive'.1 Now recent studies have thrown new light on the safety and efficacy of vitamin D supplements, suggesting, for instance, that the vitamin may aid weight loss.
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